Welcome to the Kent (North West) branch of the Western Front Association.
We run two talk programmes: one is in-person meetings at Petts Wood; the other is online via zoom.
Online meetings via zoom: Jan-Dec 2025
Online talks: Zoom meetings normally take place on either the second or third Tuesday of the month. There is no August meeting. Talks go live at 19:20 for a 19:30 start, ending about 65 minutes later. Participating is quick and easy. All you need is a computer, or a tablet, or a smart phone. Simply email us - wfa.nwkent@gmail.com - and we'll send the links and passcodes needed to attend. You will also be automatically added to the NW Kent mailing list to keep you updated about future zoom events. You can unsubscribe from this list at any time.
| Jan 14 | 'Lancers: From the Boer War to the Great War' by Maj Phil Watson, Retd, MA |
| Feb 11 | 'The African Water War' by Dr Anne Sampson |
| Mar 11 | 'Votes for Women in the Great War' by Dr Naomi Paxton |
| Apr 8 | 'The War Underground 1914-18' by Simon Jones |
| May 13 | 'Aces High: The Australian Flying Corps 1912-1920' by Rob Fleming |
| Jun 10 | 'Homosexuality in the Great War' by Dr Frances Hurd |
| Jul 15 | 'Operation Mars' by Spencer Jones |
| Summer break: Aug 12 | |
| Sep 16 | Topic to follow |
| Oct 14 | Topic to follow |
| Nov 18 | Topic to follow |
| Dec 16 | Topic to follow |
In-Person meetings at Petts Wood: Jan-May & Sep-Nov 2025
Where we meet: We meet upstairs at the Royal British Legion Club, Queensway, Petts Wood, Orpington, Kent BR5 1DH. Meetings are normally held on the last Thursday of each month, except during our Summer break (Jun, Jul, Aug) and Winter break (Dec), when no meetings are held. The club and bar opens at 18:30. We ask people to turn up by 19:20, with the talk starting at 19:30. There are no entrance fees but donations of £5 or more towards our costs are welcome. All Petts Wood talks are given live and are neither streamed nor recorded.
| Jan 30 | 'Trowels and Trenches: Archaeologists in the Great War' by Clive Harris |
| Feb 27 | 'The Indian Army at Hampton Court Palace' by Dr Tejpal Singh Ralmill |
| Mar 27 | 'The Allied Intervention in Northern Russia 1918-1920' by Andy Stuart |
| May 01 | 'From this point, the tourist should go on foot: the Somme 1919-1939' by Prof Mark Connelly |
| May 29 | 'The Ghost Villages of Verdun' by Christine Holstein |
| Summer break: Jun 26, Jul 31, Aug 28 | |
| Sep 25 | Topic to follow |
| Oct 30 | Topic to follow |
| Nov 25 | Topic to follow |
| Winter break: Dec 25 |
Getting there: The club is next door to Morrison's supermarket and Petts Wood railway station. There's free parking at the rear of the club but you do need to type your car registration into the machine (on the left as you enter the club). Not entering your car's registration can lead to a £50 fine. Alternatively, there's easy free parking in adjacent side streets.
Upcoming Branch Events
'The Ghost Villages of Verdun' by Christina Holstein
Caption: Beaumont - one of the ghost villages - today a haven of peace in a haunting, still, battle-scarred, forest. About this talk: Many villages were destroyed during the 1916 Battle of Verdun. One was allowed to disappear, several were rebuilt, while nine were declared to have died for France. They were preserved as administrative entitie...
Event Details